When You Fail As Hard As These Scientists Did, You Can't Help But Laugh It Off

"Accidentally glued myself to a crocodile..."

There are some people who tend to think of scientists as old men wearing white lab coats, doing calculations, and confined to the safety of their offices and labs.

Those people have obviously never met a scientist who does field work.

Field research is used to collect data in nearly every branch of science in a number of different ways, by getting down and dirty with the natural environment. This type of research is absolutely essential to understanding the world around us. Unfortunately, there are occasionally bumps in the road due to human error, or the fact that Mother Nature can be one cruel mistress. These mistakes can cost time, money, and even personal pride.

To celebrate the misadventures of scientific discovery, researchers have taken to social media to compare battle wounds under the banner #FieldWorkFail. Take a moment to read the top 15 field work fails, and honor the sacrifice in dignity these brave scientists made in the pursuit of knowledge.